Revealed: Man City have paid €878m to assemble the Shark Team – but where does that rank?

Manchester City have paid a total of €878million (£777.9million) in transfer fees to assemble their current squad, which appears set to cruise to the 2017/18 Premier League title.

Where does that rank on the list of most expensive squads in Europe? At the very top, according to a new study by the CIES Football Observatory, the well-known research group for sports studies.

City’s €878million spent puts them above Paris Saint-Germain (€805million) and neighbours Manchester United (€747million) on the list of priciest squads, but the evidence this season suggests the money has been spent well with Pep Guardiola now having a squad capable of fighting on all four fronts.

Almost £200million was invested in goalkeeper Ederson, the full-back trio of Benjamin Mendy, Kyle Walker and Danilo, and winger Bernardo Silva, before a club record fee of £57million was shelled out last month to acquire Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao.

The accelerated spending puts City at the top of the most expensive squad list, although with a young squad now in place, there is expected to be a much more modest outlay in the next few years.

Here is the complete list of most expensive squads in Europe, courtesy of the CIES Football Observatory:

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